Houseplant Care Workshop Set for February 2

Houseplant Care will be discussed at the Texas A&M AgriLife Demonstration Garden. Master Gardener Laura Holland will be discussing basic houseplant care and selection. Her talk starts at 9 am and will last for about an hour.

Join Us in the Demo Garden

The first Friday of every month is designated as an open house for the Texas A&M AgriLife Earth-Kind Demonstration Garden at 1600 Smith Road, Austin. You’ll be able to visit the garden and speak with the Travis County Master Gardener volunteers who maintain it and get your gardening questions answered by our Plant Clinic staff. Each month will also feature some sort of demonstration or workshop that deep dive into subject areas. In February the topic is Houseplants.

What’s Growing in the Garden?

The Earth-Kind® demonstration gardens have plants for different needs, including drought tolerance, color, full sun, and shade. There are ornamental trees, flowering shrubs, perennial flowers, Earth-Kind® roses, vines, and groundcovers. A separate section features a working vegetable garden and composting station.

The Earth-Kind® approach stipulates that chemical products are a last, not first, resort. The best practice is to use well-adapted, disease resistant plants and cultural practices like Integrated Pest Management (IPM). One component of IPM is to install plants that attract beneficial insects throughout the garden to reduce the need for chemical pesticide sprays. Take some time to see how many beneficial creatures you can find in the garden!

Regular applications of mulch and compost provide plant nutrients. A 3-bin system produces all compost on site. Stop by and learn how the Master Gardener volunteers keep the system going while attending the open house.

New Plants Added for Testing

The garden constantly evolves with new plants or planting beds added for testing. We encourage you to attend the Earth-Kind® Demonstration Gardens open houses multiple times to see the changing features through the seasons.

Additional Resources

Houseplants for Central Texas

Common Low Maintenance Houseplants

Grow Green FAQ Sheets for Aphids, Spider Mites, Scale, and Powdery Mildew

Plant Toxicity and Pets